When in Rome: A Novel (Rome, Kentucky)

10 stars! Wouldn't change a thing. I couldn't wait to write a review the whole time reading it, that's how much I loved reading this story. I avoided reading this one for so long without ever reading the synopsis because I made assumptions based on the title that it was like a bag Netflix movie, but really it's a great Netflix movie! This seemingly classic Rom-Com is written for us weirdos. Us oddies who think and say the most absurd things, like telling our partners we want to eat their face. Amelia wants to snort Noah's skin, and we relate. Told in 1st person alternating POVs (everyone's fav), the interior dialogue of our MCs is perpetually funny, relatable, heartfelt and strange. It's very similar to 'Lucy's' dialogue in The Hating Game. Humor and ridiculousness aside, this story is such a charmer. The 2 MCs are lovable and complex. Adams really develops the main and side characters fully, which creates a great foundation for the series that lays ahead. There are deep feels from our MCs who can't escape the gravity between them, no matter how hard our Grumpy MMC tries! The story is very low on the spice scale, but that feels more honest to the characters and their situation. If you want a great time in a small town, with heart squeezes and laughter, this one is for you.

This was so cute!! The most perfect, swoony rom-com for the summer. I loved both Amelia and Noah, they were total opposites but they worked so well together. Also, I loved how fleshed out these characters were! For a short 300 page book I wasn’t expecting to get to know the main characters too well but I was surprised by how much detail we got and felt like by the end, I understood them. I will say, towards the end I had to not think too much about the timespan of this book because, if you look to closely, it is super insta-love but also technically its slow burn if you take it at face value😅 Lastly, the town was adorable! When in Rome was truly a great feel-good, adorable romance 🧡

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars) When in Home was entertaining, but it didn’t fully pull me in or leave a lasting impression. It’s a light read, but not especially engaging or profound. What really kept me from becoming invested was how unrealistic the setup felt. A famous, millionaire singer breaks down on a dark road and somehow ends up stranded in a small town for an entire week waiting for her car to be fixed? In a more grounded scenario, she would simply call an Uber, a driver, or one of her assistants and be on her way. It was also hard to believe that a well-known public figure would choose to stay overnight in a stranger’s home rather than arranging professional transportation or support. That choice felt odd and made the story harder to swallow. While the audiobook itself was fine and didn’t drag outright, it still took me longer to finish than most “okay” books I listen to, which says a lot. The pacing felt a bit slow, and I never became truly invested or eager to see what would happen next. Overall, an entertaining enough listen, but the lack of realism and slower pace kept it from being more enjoyable for me.

Fabulous story and start to a series... I can't imagine how the author can top this beautiful love story that captures the moments and the community while weaving her magic! But I am all in for reading them as soon as possible! I fell in love with Rome, Kentucky and the citizens within. This is such a joyous book, and every character brought delight to the story. I laughed and sighed as I read. I am recommending it to family and friends! It will put a smile in your heart, so give the author and this book a chance to enchant you as well!

The first thing you have to know about this author is she writes sweet and innocent romances, and if that’s not your thing, you wouldn’t like this book. It’s essentially a pop star falls for a small town hero, who happens to own a pie shop. These stories aren’t deep nor have much angst, they are mostly insta love with closed door bedroom scenes. I did enjoy this change of pace from my normal type of rom-com and loved the banter between Amelia and Noah. Do I think a celebrity can have a lasting relationship with someone not in the business? Yeah, for sure. It can and does happen, but it needs a lot of work and total commitment which I can see these two doing. There were other elements that I felt were out of place, like having that time off before a major tour… really wouldn’t happen with a professional and a few other things felt more like conveniently placed to fit the storyline. And it was somewhat repetitive on the why they couldn’t be together. For the most part though I was happy with this book and loved the ending. I will be reading the next one, one of Noah’s sisters gets her own HEA.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It gave me all the feels! It was clever and funny but also completely unraveled my heartstrings and brought tears to my eyes! I highly recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me an opportunity to read an ARC of this book!

4 ⭐️!!! this is my first Sarah Adams novel & wow I will be back for more. I so enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I loved how it was paced & how the plot was planned out. now I will say, there was no spice, but the sexual tension between Noah & Amelia, SOLD ME!!! slow burn (& fade to black just so ppl are aware), but again, the TENSION 😮‍💨 I loved how Noah was so vulnerable about his life, it was sweet & wholesome to learn about him at the pace you do during this book & even seeing his character development. I related to Amelia on a lot of levels, her personality mirrors mine in some ways & it really helped me understand her character well throughout the book. cons: very little was a con for me, but i will say I wish there was a bit of spice just cause the tension was so dang good, but the no spice didn’t necessarily take away anything from the book itself. just something I wished for a little bit.

I love the Walker siblings, the little town of Rome, and all the supporting characters Adams crafted, like Mabel and James. It’s an adorable little community, and I’ve already purchased the next book excited to read Annie’s story. HOWEVER, I almost didn’t finish this book because I absolutely can’t stand Amelia (the FMC). I am clearly not the target audience for the “I’m annoying on purpose because I find it amusing” character who yearns for people to respect her privacy and her boundaries but refuses to do the very same for the MMC, despite the fact that he asks her repeatedly to do so. She is completely unwilling to listen when he tells her “no,” invading his physical and emotional space and prying into his personal life. If the roles were reversed it would be considered highly problematic, so why the heck would we call it anything else in this book? I’m beginning the next book praying that these particular traits are confined solely to this character, otherwise my next Adams books will be my last.

Ho le lacrime agli occhi. La storia è dolcissima. Amelia è un popstar e Noah un pasticcere. Cosa potranno mai avere in comune? Decisamente Rome in Kentucky. Un libro perfetto per chi cerca una lettura divertente e romantica.

مرا كويس جا سليم

how cuteeee is this boook!!!! 😭😭 had me giggling and swooning since the start!!! such a cute rom-com. I lovedddd both amelia and noah's characters, they fit in so well🥹 . they both had soo many wholesome moments it was perfect💕 I also love how amelia is a pain in noah's ass🤣 it is a perfect small town romance with grumpy sunshine!🥹❤️ ALSO something to take note of? Noah is grumpy but he is not mean🫶

Warm, fuzzy and witty everything you want from a light summer rom-com. Maybe not my top of the top, but still good enough to smkle to myself while reading

AHHH, I never know where to begin from when it comes to Sarah Adams and her precious, precious books! They always render me absolutely speechless and turn me into a hooman puddle of mush and When in Rome is no different. 🥺😍 God, this deeply beautiful, heart melting, soulful, gentle, hopeful, endearing, wholesome and tenderly woven story is EVERYTHING! I cannot express how much I needed to read it and how deeply it made me feel. It was beyond words. 😭🥰 Noah and Amelia are truly a dream come true! They're SO warm, wholesome, genuine, loveable, golden hearted and soft. They exude such comfort and sunshine. I love, love, love how beautifully and meaningfully they come together! Watching them fall in love with each other was an absolutely delightful, swoony, emotional, heart touching and precious journey. It touched my soul, made my heart swell with love, soar with happiness, squeal with excitement, burst out out of sheer warmth, smile endlessly, swoon, feel from the deepest depths of my being, cry, laugh, melt away with the purest of joy, feel seen, understood, accepted and so deeply loved. Ahhh, I cannot begin to express how wholeheartedly Amelia and Noah made me feel! They enveloped my heart in the softest big bear hug ever and never let go. ☀️ I didn't know just how much I needed to read their story and get to know them. Their story is genuinely going to be my MOST favourite ones ever and I'll always, always hold it the closest to my heart. I cannot get over the care, sensitivity, fondness and tenderness radiating from them. It's everything. Watching Noah and Amelia get to know each other was a like watching a dream come true. The way they loved, cared for, supported, respected, understood, accepted, stood by and truly saw each other makes me want to cry for an eternity. 🥺😭 The thoughtfully and gently woven details in their story are to die for!!! Truly. Be it pancakes, flowers, books, sweatshirts and god, SO much more. Just so much more. The affectionately, adoringly, compassionately and carefully crafted moments between them had me smiling endlessly, bursting with giddiness, melting away with love, sobbing out of happiness and just floating on a fluffy cloud. They are soothing, heart melting, joyful, radiant, magical, soulful, emotional, evocative, crackling with chemistry and tension of the best kind (trust me, it'll have you squealing), heartfelt and BEAUTIFUL. Please give their story a try, I promise - you will not be disappointed! And there is SO much more to their story. We've got the most delightful grumpy x sunshine awesomeness, an absolutely endearing family and friend group who are SO much fun and will make you laugh constantly, beautiful, dreamy and hilarious descriptions which will make you dissolve into a big puddle and giggle endlessly, scenes wherein they take care of each other with such softness you will sob, moments which will make you feel SO seen and understood, god. Those moments made me cry out of sheer relief and resonance. The way the sweet and vibrant town of Rome, Kentucky and all the moments, people and adventures it brought nursed Amelia back to her feeling like herself again have every bit of my soul. Her vulnerable and emotional journey of slowly and gently recovering from a burnout was so affirming. It is endlessly comforting to see someone allowing themselves to break down, to be seen in all of their humanness, to be loved for being themselves, just themselves, learning what is it that lights up their soul from within after years of it being robbed from you. I love how sensitively and honestly it was spoken about. The dialogues really hit home. And through all of it, I LOVE how Noah's safe, steady, gentle, calming, honest and caring presence nurtured hope for her. I adore how become a secure base for her to land and her supportive cheerleader! I cannot express how much I appreciate that he never spoke on her behalf, instead he stood by her side unwaveringly as she fought for herself and found herself again. That was SO beautiful and emotional to see! The way they treasured, valued, adored and cherished each other's presence in their lives had my heart giving out. Every page of this book is pure sunshine and comfort - all wrapped and sealed into one. 🥺💛🌻🥞✨